Holder for safety razor blades



April 16, 19356 I J GANZ ET I 1,998,130

HOLDER FOR SAFETY RAZOR BLADES Filed March 20, 1935 INVENTOR$ PatentedApr. 16, 1935 rarest Fries Horses FOR SAFETY RAZORA'BLADES' Joseph P.Ganz and from F. smears; Pittsburgh; Pa;

Our invention relates to a holder for safety razor blades and whileprimarily designed for holding a blade to facilitate the resharpening ofthe latter, it will be obvious that the device may be employed for anyother purposes wherein it is found to be applicable.

Important objects of the invention are to provide a holder of thecharacter described, which will accurately and rigidly dispose the bladeat the proper sharpening angle when positioned flatwise on a strep orhone, which'embodiesbut few parts, which may be effectively operatedeven by unskilled persons, and-which may be conveniently and quicklyoperated to secure a blade or to release the latter therefrom.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the classstated, which issimple'in its construction and arrangement, durable andefficient in its use, compact, attractive in appearance, andcomparatively inexpensive to-m'anufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as'thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts herein specifically described andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood thatthe latter is merely illustrative of an embodiment of the invention, andthat the actual needs of manufacture and practice may necessitatecertain mechanical variations. It is therefore, not intended to limitthe invention to the disclosure thereto herein illustrated, but ratherto define such limitations in the claim hereunto appended.

in the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views:-

Figure l is a side view of a safety razor blade holder constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a back edge View of the handle and the integrally formedclamping jaw.

Figures 3 and 4, are respectively, outer and inner side views of theremovable jaw.

Figure 5 is an enlarged forward end view of the assembled holder.

Referring in detail to the drawing I denotes a fixed clamping jaw, and 2represents a re- 09 movable clamping jaw. The clamping jaws l and 2 areidentical in contour, and adapted to be clamped together flatwise inopposed relation to each other for securing a safety razor blade 3therebetween. The clamping jaw I is formed integral with, or otherwisefixed to, the

forward. end of an operating handle. 4. The fixed jaw l is laterallyoffset relatively to the longitudinal disposition of the handle 4, sothat the mean longitudinal center of the assembled jaws i and 2 extendsin'alignment with the lon- 5 gitudinal center of the handle 4.

Each of the clamping jaws i and 2 is rectangular in configuration andsubstantially wedgeshaped iii-transverse cross section, gradually'diminishing in thickness from its back edge to 10 its front'edge. Theopposed inner side faces of the jaws land 2 are perfectly fiat, and theouter side surface thereof are provided with slightly concave'dtransverse curvatures.

The fixed jaw i is provided with a pair of 16- fixed connecting pins 5,which project laterally from the inner fiat'side of the former. Theconnecting pins5 are suitably disposed and spaced from each other toadapt same for passage through the usual opening or openings provided 0in safety razor blades of the type and construction now in common use.The connecting pins 5 are tapered, gradually diminishing in transversearea from their free endstoward the attached ends thereof. 25'

The removablejaw Z is provided'with apair of transversely extendingconnecting slots 6. The latter are substantially key-hole shaped, andhave their enlarged portions disposed toward the front edge of said jaw2. The reduced 30 portions of the slots 6 are provided with beveled sidewalls l and slightly but gradually decrease in width toward their backends.

The removable jaw 2 is clamped in position to the fixed jaw l by theengagement of the con- 35 necting pins 5, carried by the jaw l, in theslots 8, formed in the jaw 2. The enlarged front portions of the slots 6allow the free passage of the respective pins 5 therethrough. This iseffected while the removable jaw 2 is offset toward the 40 back of theholder to bring the said pins 5 and the enlarged front portions of theslots 6 into exact registrations relatively to each other. After thepins 5 have entered the enlarged front portions of the slots 6, theremovable jaw 2 is forced toward the front of the holder to its normalposition whereby the tapered pins 5 will engage the beveled slot walls lproviding a wedging action fixedly clamping the said removable jaw 2 inposition on the fixed jaw I.

In securing the razor blade 3 between the clamping jaws, the former isfirst placed upon the fiat inner side of the fixed jaw i. The properpositioning of the blade 3 is instantly effected by the passage of thepins through the openings in said blade 3. The forward end 8 of theblade 3 normally projects beyond the forward ends of the clamping jaws Iand 2 to afiord a finger hold facilitating the positioning of the bladeupon the fixed jaw I or its removal from the latter.

The fiat inner side faces of the jaws I and 2 are preferably covered bya very thin cushioning liner 9, which may be constructed from anysuitable material, namely, paper, cloth, composition material, butpreferably resilient material in the form of sheet rubber. The liners 9are permanently secured to said jaws by an adherent agent, or in anyother suitable manner. The liners 9 are provided to augment the grippingaction of the jaws I and 2 when clamped against the blade 3, and toadjustably compensate for any irregularities on the inner faces of thejaw structures.

The removable jaw 2 may be locked in the clamping position by means of alocking bolt ID. The latter is threadedly engaged in the back edge ofthe fixed jaw I and carries a cam shaped head II. The latter may beadjusted to engage the back edge of the removable jaw 2 to secure thelatter against the releasing movement, or may be adjusted to clear thesaid jaw 2, whereby the latter may be forced toward the back of theholder to effect its release. It is evident, that any other suitablelocking mechanism may be employed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

When a blade 3 is positioned in our improved holder, the cutting edge I2will project beyond the front edges of the clamping jaws I and 2. Duringstropping or honing operations the jaws are positioned flatwise on thestrop or bone. Owing to the concaved outer surfaces of the jaws only thethickest point of the latter and the bevel of the cutting edge I2 of theblade will contact with sharpening element, as clearly illustrated indash lines in the enlarged View in Figure 5. Such position of the bladeprovides the exact angular disposition of the latter for mosteffectively accomplishing the sharpening operations. When the removablejaw 2 is in the clamping position, the outer ends of the pins 5 areexactly fiush with the outer surface of said jaw 2. The jaws I and 2 arepreferably provided with comparatively large, centrally disposedopenings |3 for facilitating the release of the removable jaw 2 from thefixed jaw I, and to prevent the. formation of air pockets between theblade 3 and clamping jaws I and 2.

While the present invention is particularly intended for permitting theresharpening of safety razor blades in the efiicient manner employed insharpening the old type of razor, it is apparent that the holder may beused for securing a safety razor blade while shaving with the latter orfor any cutting operations adaptable thereto apart from shaving.

The present invention provides a most efiicient device of its kind,which may be cheaply manufactured, and which may conveniently bemanipulated and employed for the purposes and in the manner herein setforth.

What we claim is:

In combination, a safety razor blade holder comprising a handle, a fixedclamping jaw formed integral with the forward end of said handle, a pairof spaced connecting pins secured to and projecting laterally from theinner side of said fixed clamping jaw, each-of said pair of connectingpins tapering from its free end to- Ward its attached end and from itsfront side toward its back side, a removable clamping jaw provided witha pair of spaced transversely disposed connecting slots decreasing inwidth from their front ends towards the back ends thereof, said slotshaving bevelled side walls for engaging respective connecting pins forsecuring the blade between said fixed clamping jaw and said removablejaw when the latter is shifted toward the front edge of said fixedclamping jaw, and a locking bolt shiftably engaged in the back edge ofsaid fixed clamping jaw and having a cam-shaped head overlapping theback edge of said removable clamping jaw for securing the latter in theclamping position on said fixed clamping jaw.

JOSEPH P. GANZ.

JOHN P. STROBATZ.

